Pilot-scale composting was carried out with cow manure to evaluate the performances of two passive aeration systems: a conventional passive aeration system equipped with horizontal pipes and an unusual passive aeration method based on air delivery by means of vertical pipes. The effects of both types of passive aeration apparatus were investigated in order to determine the degree of composting rate by continuously monitoring temperature, moisture content, organic matter, electrical conductivity, pH and C/N ratio in the piles. Temperatures in the range of thermophily (55-65 degrees C) were reached in all runs within 1-2 days then lasting for about 1 week, a span long enough for pathogen abatement. Results suggest that passive aeration carried out by vertical pipes is more effective for air delivery into compost piles than conventional passive aeration of air adduction with horizontal pipes. The variation in the number of vertical pipes was revealed to be an important parameter for the control of composting rate and temperature. Composting rates estimated from the heat balance equation were substantially in agreement with those computed through the conversion ratio of total organic matter decrement. The conversion ratios and composting rates obtained in this study using passive aeration with vertical pipes were well aligned with those found using forced air delivery systems. 相似文献
Until recently, scientists believed that the chemical elements were synthesized only in stars. The discovery of the Oklo phenomenon in the Republic of Gabon in 1972 has revealed, however, that a nuclear “fire” had existed on the earth and largescale transmutations of the elements were occurring on our planet 1.7·109 years ago. The formation of natural (or Pre-Fermi) reactors is closely related to the appearance of life on our planet earth. The Pre-Fermi reactors were probably never formed until about 2·109 years ago, when oxygen was injected into the earth's atmosphere by a new generation of living organisms carrying out photosynthesis. 相似文献
Effects of acute γ-irradiation were investigated in the aquatic microcosm consisting of green algae (Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp.) and a blue–green alga (Tolypothrix sp.) as producers; an oligochaete (Aeolosoma hemprichi), rotifers (Lecane sp. and Philodina sp.) and a ciliate protozoan (Cyclidium glaucoma) as consumers; and more than four species of bacteria as decomposers. At 100 Gy, populations were not affected in any taxa. At 500–5000 Gy, one or three taxa died out and populations of two or three taxa decreased over time, while that of Tolypothrix sp. increased. This Tolypothrix sp. increase was likely an indirect effect due to interspecies interactions. The principal response curve analysis revealed that the main trend of the effects was a dose-dependent population decrease. For a better understanding of radiation risks in aquatic microbial communities, effect doses of γ-rays compared with copper, herbicides and detergents were evaluated using the radiochemoecological conceptual model and the effect index for microcosm. 相似文献
To determine whether the appearance of a reproductively parasitic tactic varies, and how this variation affects territorial
males of the Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish Telmatochromis vittatus, we examined the reproductive ecology of territorial males in Mtondwe and compared it with that of a neighboring Wonzye population,
where nest density differs from that at Mtondwe. In Wonzye, with high nest density, male tactics change with their body size
from a territorial to a non-territorial parasitic tactic called piracy in which they conquer several nests defended by territorial
males and take over the nests while females are spawning. These “pirate” males could decrease the costs incurred by travelling
among nests by exclusively targeting aggregations of nests in close proximity while avoiding separate nests. Territorial males
in Wonzye sacrifice the potential higher attractiveness offered by large nests and instead compete for nests farther from
neighbors on which pirates less frequently intrude. In contrast, the Mtondwe population had lower nest density and piracy
was absent. Given that the success of piracy depends on the close proximity of nests, nest density is likely responsible for
the observed variation in the occurrence of piracy between the two populations. Furthermore, in Mtondwe, territorial males
competed for larger nests and were smaller than the territorial males in Wonzye. Thus, this lower nest density may free territorial
males from the selection pressures for increased size caused by both defense against nest piracy and the need to develop into
pirates as they grow. 相似文献
Air pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), their nitrated derivatives (NPAHs), and some metals on airborne particles in Nagasaki city, Japan were determined over a period of 12 months by high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence, fluorescence and flameless atomic absorption spectrometry. The average concentrations (range) were 18.24 (4.07-41.54) ng/m3 for total PAHs, 0.91 (0.23-4.10) pg/m3 for NPAHs, 7.95 (1.71-16.31) ng/m3 for Pb, 11.56 (3.35-24.96) ng/m3 for Mn and 3.79 (0.97-14.71) ng/m3 for Ni (n = 136). The toxic equivalency factors adjusted concentration of total PAHs determined in Nagasaki city area was 2.33 ng/m3. Concentrations of total PAHs and NPAHs in winter were higher than those in summer. In a weekly variations study, total PAHs and NPAHs concentrations, as well as traffic volume showed a similar tendency with all values higher during weekdays and lower at the weekend. The correlation coefficients between total PAHs or NPAHs and traffic volume were 0.781 and 0.818, respectively. These results suggested that one of the main sources for NPAHs and PAHs in a city area might be motor vehicles. 相似文献
Despite the wide prevalence of alternative reproductive tactics, little attention has been paid to why reproductively parasitic
males are so small. In this study, we tackled this issue in a shell-brooding fish Lamprologus callipterus. Sneaky ‘dwarf males’ of this fish remain much smaller than bourgeois conspecifics throughout their life and employ a unique
parasitic tactic, i.e. entering into a gastropod shell where a female is spawning, passing through the space between the female
and shell wall and staying behind her to ejaculate throughout the spawning event. Here, we tested the prediction that they
remain small to get past her through the shell spaces by interpopulation comparison. We showed, across populations, a negative
allometry for sexual size dimorphism, an exponential increase of female size with an increase in shell size and a negative
correlation between the magnitude of sexual size dimorphism and shell size. These results suggest that the inner spaces strongly
regulate dwarf male size. We conclude that the small bodies of dwarf males arise from adaptation to their unique reproductive
behaviour. 相似文献
To improve nitrogen removal performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), it is essential to understand the behavior of nitrogen cycling communities, which comprise various microorganisms. This study characterized the quantity and diversity of nitrogen cycling genes in various processes of municipal WWTPs by employing two molecular-based methods:most probable number-polymerase chain reaction (MPN-PCR) and DNA microarray. MPN-PCR analysis revealed that gene quantities were not statistically different among processes, suggesting that conventional activated sludge processes (CAS) are similar to nitrogen removal processes in their ability to retain an adequate population of nitrogen cycling microorganisms. Furthermore, most processes in the WWTPs that were researched shared a pattern:the nirS and the bacterial amoA genes were more abundant than the nirK and archaeal amoA genes, respectively. DNA microarray analysis revealed that several kinds of nitrification and denitrification genes were detected in both CAS and anaerobic-oxic processes (AO), whereas limited genes were detected in nitrogen removal processes. Results of this study suggest that CAS maintains a diverse community of nitrogen cycling microorganisms; moreover, the microbial communities in nitrogen removal processes may be specific.